


You Stens Up

by Laura_Sinele



Series: Fictober 2019 drabbles [13]
Category: Crash Pad (2017)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Mild Language, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 08:24:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laura_Sinele/pseuds/Laura_Sinele
Summary: Grady learns how Stensland lost his job and incidentally finds a career prospect for him.





	You Stens Up

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fictober19 prompt 15: "That's what I'm talking about!"
> 
> Following from prompt 13 in this series (No matter how many times you Crash), and possibly leading to more.

After an eternal shower, Stensland emerged to a lemon scented, radiant clean living room, clad in a fluffy bathrobe and a mint green flowery towel wrapped like a turban around his head.

“Grady! You didn’t have to! And where did you get that lemon scented cleaner?”

“From under the sink”, he deadpanned. “Right where I left it the last time I cleaned your house”

Stensland didn’t show any sign of guilt or a bad conscience. He dropped on the sofa, switched the TV on again and tapped the seat next to him for Grady to sit. When he did, Stensland crossed his legs, ignored the TV and adopted a conspiratorial air and tone.

“So. The Malcolms. I was at work, everything was fine and this middle-aged couple comes in looking for a full living room. I am the best-selling vendor. Well I was. Well no, I am because no-one has beaten my marks, not even Gonzalez, that filthy, slithering, rat…”

“To the point, sport”.

“Oh, right, sorry. Well, I was showing them our collection and I started to notice weird things. Like, Mr Malcolm was always holding or touching Mrs Malcolm in some way, and she never really said she liked something or she wanted to see something closer. She kind of asked for permission or waited for it. And I was getting kind of suspicious, you know? Because that is a pattern, and that pattern tells you something, and I know exactly what it is, but I knew I needed evidence so I waited. And then, I show them some fabric options, and she stretches her arm, and her sleeve rides back, and I see it. Clear as the day. A bruise in the shape of a grabbing hand in her lower arm. So I think ‘That’s it, I’ve had it’, and I say ‘Madam, you look pale, do you need to use the lady’s room?’. Because I know the protocol, I know you can’t push this things and you have to separate the victim from the abuser. But he wouldn’t let her go, so I got more and more angry and more and more thirsty for justice, so I started to drop hints, until Mrs Malcolm was trembling like a leaf and Mr Malcolm started yelling at me and I may or may not called him he was a violent, abusive son of a turd. And they got me fired”

Grady’s face was very professionally devoid of any emotion. 

“Understandable. Now, what are you going to do?”

“Ach! I don’t know. I do have some savings. But I don’t have a spectacular resume. I should rob a nascar race, like those guys on the TV”

Grady glanced at the TV and recognized the case.

“You want to rob a nascar race and then give the money back?”

“Oh, no, no, no. It’s not that simple. I read the story on a newspaper when it happened. Apparently, there was a failure in the card payment system that day, so all the payments were in cash and, being a busy race, they weren’t counting. It is possible that they stole a lot more than what they returned”.

That peaked Grady’s interest and they both fell in companionable silence, watching the documentary. Occasionally, Stensland would repeat aloud the occupations of the people being interviewed and say why or why not that particular job was appropriate for him. This went on until Grady asked:

“What did you major in?”

“Literature. I wanted to write”

“Obviously”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you are great building up things from little details”

Stensland’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Are you saying that I exaggerate and make things up?”

“Not necessarily, but you sometimes do, yes!”

“Like when?”

“Like when you got fired because of a hunch and a bruise in a lady’s arm?”

“Excuse you, Grady, but some of us still believe in standing up for the defenceless and I’d rather lose a hundred jobs than let poor Mrs Angelique Malcolm endure any more domestic violence!”

“Wait. Angelique? Is the husband’s name Harold?”

“Yes, how would you know that”

Grady stood up and joined his palms as in gratitude while he laughed.

“Oh, Stensy, you ridiculously romantic son of a bitch! I am going to get you so much money”.

At Stensland perplexed pose, Grady sat down again an explained:

“We are working on Angelique’s case of abuse and it goes deeper than that. Shit is going to hit so many rich people, and now also Soft Solutions. It’s going to take some months, but I can get you your job back. Though if I were you, I’d just pack my dough and go write about that weird ass robbery in West Virginia”.  
Stensland was so shocked that his sole reaction was a wide grin and turning his heat towards the telly.

“I am so happy for Mrs Malcolm. She is very brave and she is going to get vindication”.

“And so will you, my dramatic friend”.

“Look at that Adonis”, said Stensland, pointing and the dark-haired man on the screen. “He looks totally like a romance mystery novel hero, doesn’t he?”

Grady shrugged. Stensland read “Clyde Logan, local bar owner”.

“I can totally picture him knowing all about the robbery. Barmen know lots of secrets”

“That’s what I’m talking about! You see a guy on TV and suddenly you are guessing his whole life. Make a living out of it! And for fucks sake, find another apartment and limit the smoking to the weekends”.

“You know what? That’s what I’ll do”, said Stensland. And to celebrate his resolution, he took the bong from the coffee table and lit it up. It was a tuesday.

“There you go, Condor”, said Grady, reaching for the bong.


End file.
